Choko

The article is written as if they are both retiring. Obviously, we know that Whitey wants to go round again. Do we know whether Yze intends to retire, or whether he wishes to continue?

Thanks everyone for your comments and PMs. We are getting a lot of interest, and due to other bookings that day, we can only take the first 35, so if you want in, book quickly! If we get 35, we will make at least $350 for the club, so that would be fantastic. For those who don't want to come in for the lunch, of course you're welcome to come and sit in (or... utilise!) the bar, have a frothy and make a donation to the club if you choose to as well. Our bar is open all day as well. More info at www.thefawkner.com.au

Hi all, You will see from some other threads that an idea has been floated to have a pre-match lunch. I offered the restaurant I own as the venue. I am very excited, as it gives us another way to raise funds for the MFC. I have spoken to a number of people at the club, and they are really supportive of the idea. In fact, we have agreed to meet again to discuss the club next year providing an injured player or member of the admin team to attend each pre-match. SO, the details are below: Unofficial Pre-Match Demon Lunch At The Fawkner Bistro Bar (formerly The Fawkner Club Hotel) 52 Toorak Rd West, South Yarra, 3142 Sunday 31 August, 11.30am - 1.00pm. It's a lovely 20 minute walk through the park to get to the 'G. $25 set lunch - Your choice of: Pot roasted chicken leg with mash and button mushrooms Or Herb and parmesan crumbed veal medallions with roast tomatoes and red wine sauce All meals are served with French fries, garden salad and a pot of Carlton Draught. $5 of each lunch goes directly to the MFC. There will be fundraising forms so that anyone who wishes to donate more may do so and claim a tax deduction. As a one-off before the Richmond game, I will match dollar-for-dollar the amount raised from each lunch order. Reservations – call 9867 5853 and let them know you are booking for the MFC pre-match. Bookings are limited, so get in quickly. If a mod can pin this it would be great. If someone could post this on demonology where I am not a member, I would really appreciate it!

Ok, thanks for your thoughts everyone. Great suggestions re the club being involved. I had a chat now with Greg Romanes (Fundraising), and he is extremely helpful on this. He is currently liaising with Chris Connolly, and we will be getting either an injured player or a club rep to come and speak at the pre-match function. Greg will contact me to confirm who is available, and I will let you know. The club is open to a trial run in the pre-match before the Richmond game, so we would need to move quickly. So, for the plan, maybe before I go posting details, an op should email me or arrange a call with me to make sure they are comfortable with me pursuing this on this forum...?

Number 8 tram and South Yarra train station not too far at all. By the way, I am not suggesting that this would be done through the MFC. I have tried speaking directly to the MFC about this and other ideas, and it is abundantly clear to me that I can help the club more by doing this without waiting for them to work out what they want to do. This would be unofficial.

Hi all, I have read some posts suggesting that it would be a great idea that dees supporters have a place to eat at a restaurant near the MCG for MCG games. I haven't really developed this idea fully, but..... I own a restaurant on Toorak Rd, South Yarra , which is a 20 minute walk from the MCG (or a 30 minute drive on a bad day!!!). I am happy to explore the idea that we put on a reasonably priced pre-footy lunch deal, from which $5 for each order will be donated to the footy club (with discretion to donate more, of course). Our restaurant is also a bar, and can comfortably hold 60 - I don't want to say who we are yet because it's not about plugging us. We could trial the idea as a one-off before the Richmond game if there is interest. I am also happy for feedback as to how this may work. So what do people think?

Spot on. He could play a very similar role to Whelan in time, with confidence.

I cannot understand the Bell bashing on this site. It is ridiculous. Daniel Bell is in a form slump. He is a confidence player who is low on confidence. He works hard on the track, and tries to do the 1%ers week in week out. A good tackler with clear upside. If people who bag him here were to speak to him face-to-face, most wouldn't have the balls to say the same thing and those that do would be doing him and themselves a real disservice.

I think the most salient point you have made in this thread is the one in your signature.

This is a total waste of time. Jonathan Brown would not, in 1000000 years, come to Melbourne. No-one, including McNamee, has even suggested he would consider it, and I can tell you, he is totally disinterested in the MFC. So the more energy our admin wastes on him, the worse.

Haha - one of us needs our maths checked!! Turns out it was me!!! Haha

You're out of line on this one mate. I understand your point that in relation to his salary, he hasn't donated a huge sum. But how many players donate any money to their club? How many SUPPORTERS even donate? How many employees donate to their employer. My Dad was at the function and he told me about Brock. I was going to post it, and I thought better of it because knowing Brock a little bit, I didn't think he would appreciate it. Brock donated through the player group and individually, and his individual donation was inspirational and set the tone for the night. Incidentally, I think all, but certainly most of, the Board members donated generously, as did past players.

Just to get the QB clash in perspective... Collingwood do not "give" us the gate as a matter of generosity. I'm not saying I am not happy to be getting that gate twice as often as we would otherwise get it, but the ONLY reason Coll gives us the gate is because it is in their interests to do so. They do not need the money, so by allocating home games against sides whose home is the MCG, they get 11 home games + all the other games at home. That's the ONLY reason they do it.

Even if he gets sacked? What would happen to him if he was sacked?

There are a few Richmond supporters as well.

I am super impressed with Dean Bailey. Probably one of the major criticisms of Neale Daniher was the fact that he persevered with players whose behaviours did not reflect the club we wanted to be, whether those behaviours were attitudinal or skills-based. We wanted ruthlessness. On the other hand, Dean Bailey seems to have an almost uncompromising attitude that the club and its players will do things the way he wants them done, or he will drop them. Key position youth is developing at a rate better than I can ever remember, because it is clear that Dean is focused on being a great teacher. Take Nathan Jones. He will learn so much from being dropped after having had his most possessions all year. Jonesy is clearly a competitive beast, so this will be a tremendous opportunity for him to understand what is expected from him. The same thing happened to CJ, who had to earn a game, and Miller, who was backed to the hilt by Bailey. Having had the opportunity to speak to a few of the players recently, I know also that Dean demands "smarts" from his players and makes the players do substantial homework on the opposition. Where Ross Lyon dropped 2 players for 1 week on the back of pressure from the media, Dean Bailey has gone about doing things his own way quietly and effectively. I know we're not there yet, and of course I see some weakness in Dean. But as long as the club "sticks fat", I think we have an extremely exciting opportunity in the next few years.

He came back and had a very good second half yesterday after a poor first half. I think Belly is a confidence player and I would not be writing him off yet.

2 goals? One was a pathetic down field and the other a goal that was typical - freakish and a result of poor team play. The guy thinks defence is the thing that runs along the side of the house. He will not keep his feet and he is a liability with a poor work ethic. Has to go. I never want to see him in a Melbourne jumper again

Firstly, that is not our biggest problem. But I assure you, I am not a pessimistic supporter. And "getting on board" does not mean unquestioning support. I didn't say that I don't support Jimmy, but I simply say that his agenda and approach, to the extent that they differ from Gardner's, have not yet been made clear. I am not saying that it means he shouldn't do things his way or that he should sit back idly, but I do think it is something to be wary of. And for what it's worth, if Caro's article in today's paper is any indication, I think Jim agrees and is in the process of drafting a letter to all of us explaining his vision. Usually that would occur before an election.

Agreed. And I have no doubt Jim would have been elected. But I am simply saying that if has underwent an election campaign we would have better understood his approach and agenda and he may have been required to refine it based on opposition, feedback, etc...

The only thing I would say is that yes, he is the new president, but he was appointed, not elected. I am always a bit dubious when a president who hasn't faced his constituents takes over.

I agree with what a lot of people have said about how the MFC handled this. I can't say I am surprised - Mark Williams announced our new coach FFS! I have to say that I am thrilled Paul McNamee is gone. In my 3 dealings with him, I found him insincere, disinterested and arrogant. I know there is more to the CEO role than how he speaks to a member, and I am sure other memers have had more satisfactory dealings with him, but I for one am thrilled he is out.

2 words: Honourable loss. Another 2: Best interests. Now put them together. And make sure we do it with youngsters.

He hasn't even put in a handful of good performances. He has played a maximum of 2 full good games of AFL and other than that, shown occasional glimpses. Exactly right - he CAN do most things, he just won't. Shocking attitude, petulant child. He plays like he just expects to dominate, and is symptomatic of what is wrong with the culture of the MFC. Trade him to a club that thinks they can get more for him, like St Kilda (he will play well on the other flank to Fiora).

The other interesting thing is in fact quite a worrying thing that I know Jim has made a priority, and that is that we are quite high up relatively speaking on adults, yet near the bottom all up. This obviously suggests an alarmingly low number of kids, which augurs badly for the future. I think it's quite obvious from this that youth has to be a priority. Explains the Casey Fields undertaking as well.